Expanding Private Airport Security Screening Act
Sponsored By: Representative Perry, Scott [R-PA-10]
Introduced
Summary
Private companies performing airport screening under federal supervision. This bill would let airports hire qualified private screening firms listed by TSA while keeping federal supervisors, covert tests, and annual cost and performance comparisons.
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- Airports and airport operators could contract with TSA-listed private screening firms. They must notify TSA within 7 days and prepare a transition plan within 30 days, and they are shielded from claims tied to contractor or federal supervisor negligence while remaining liable for their own security actions.
- Private screening companies would have to meet federal personnel requirements, show they can match federal screening performance, and be U.S.-owned and controlled to the extent TSA finds such firms exist. Employees would face covert testing and remedial training overseen by TSA.
- The Transportation Security Administration would provide federal supervisors at airports using private screeners, supply law enforcement where needed, and publish an annual report. The report must compare mean performance and mean costs between private contracts and federal screening by airport category, include total federal costs across agencies, and be posted online within 7 days of Congress submission.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Federal oversight for private screeners
This bill would require the Administrator to place Federal supervisors at airports that use private screeners. The government would also provide Federal law enforcement officers at those airports as required. The Administrator would run covert tests and provide remedial training to employees of the private screening companies to help keep screening standards.
Airports could hire private screeners
This bill would let an airport operator hire a qualified private screening company on a public list to do passenger and property screening. The government would keep a public list of qualified companies that must use staff who meet federal screening rules, show they can match federal performance, and be U.S.-owned if such firms exist. The airport would have to tell TSA within 7 days after signing a contract and make a transition plan within 30 days. The bill would also require a cost comparison showing the contract cost and an estimate of what it would cost to use Federal staff, and it would limit the airport operator's liability for harms caused by the contractor or by federal supervisory employees while leaving the operator liable for its own acts.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Perry, Scott [R-PA-10]
PA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Burlison, Eric [R-MO-7]
MO • R
Sponsored 3/27/2026
Rep. Roy, Chip [R-TX-21]
TX • R
Sponsored 3/27/2026
Rep. Clyde, Andrew S. [R-GA-9]
GA • R
Sponsored 3/27/2026
Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1]
MD • R
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov